


What's That Mysterious Noise?

by EverydayMagic17



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bilbo Remains In Erebor, Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Female Bilbo, Gen, Rule 63, fem bilbo, purring hobbits, rule 63 bilbo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 17:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6293941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverydayMagic17/pseuds/EverydayMagic17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dwarves notice an odd noise they can't quite pinpoint... Asking about it makes it stop, Bilba blush, and Gandalf choke on his pipe, laughing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's That Mysterious Noise?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The sound of affection](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1892196) by [DiDaydreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiDaydreamer/pseuds/DiDaydreamer). 



Bofur was the first to notice the noise, a quiet, soothing rumble, as everyone rested in a heap, in the soft straw Beorn had provided them with. He looked around, it rather sounded like a very large house-cat, but none of the skin-changer's oddly intelligent animals were around. Shrugging, the miner continued to gently work the knots out of Bilba's thick mass of curls. He enjoyed the privilege so recently granted, as he'd just formally stated his intention to court the hobbit at the afternoon meal that had sent everyone into a drowsy stupor. She'd responded with a stuttered 'y-yes', then promptly used his mustache to pull him into a heated kiss. Bilba sent a sleepy smile up at him, leaning into his touch, the warmth in his chest provided ample distraction from the noise.

Balin noted the purring noise, in Laketown, as he told stories of Erebor to Bilba, and the younglings. Bilba had her head in Bofur's lap, letting him play with her hair, obviously pleased that her cold was gone, and an arm around Fili, her other absently carding through Kili's hair. Quite early on in the journey, the hobbit lass had taken a maternal shine to the princes, and Ori, fussing over them gently. Ori, who was leaning on Fili's shoulder, had appreciated the way Bilba gently steered Dori's fussing away, and that hers wasn't nearly as overbearing. As the gentle rumble started, Bofur twitched, looking around.  
"Where's the cat?" Ori asked, also blinking, as Balin paused. Bilba's cheeks were oddly red, and the noise cut off. After a moment, Balin started speaking again.

Bifur and Bombur first heard the mysterious purring others had mentioned, on the edge of the battlefeild, as they wrapped Bilba and Bofur into a tight hug. The hobbit had just left the royal tent, tears of releif streaming down her face.  
"Everyone's going to be alright. I guilt-tripped Thranduil into saving Thorin and the boys," she breathed.  
"Aye, and we made it through alright, love." Bofur said into her hair, as the family clung together. A low rumble, inherently relaxing started. Bifur and Bombur exchanged glances as a sudden suspicion awoke. They needed to talk to the others.

"Gandalf...do hobbits...purr?" Most of the company was with the wizard, as Thorin asked the question wiht the air of a man wondering if the words he'd just uttered had truly come from his mouth. Dori had mentioned it, when he'd brought Bilba tea, as she watched over the healing princes and Dwalin, and the King had heard it when the hobbit had dozed off while reading to the wounded king, in an effort to keep him from going so stir crazy an to undo all the healing he'd accomplished. The wizard choked on the breath of pipeweed smoke he'd just taken, and it took amoment for the dwarves to realize the hacking noise was as much a fit of manic laughter, as it was coughing.  
"Heh... A-ask" Wheeze "B-bilba!" And Gandalf refused to say more.

In the end, it was Ori who was forcibly nominated to ask the hobbit, as she seemed most tolerant of his questions, and Bofur had been kicked out of the shared suite of rooms when his complaints about his limited activity due to cracked ribs from a cave-in had gotten on his betrothed's nerves. The scribe had brought one of Dori's best blends of tea over, and Bombur's cinnamon rolls, hoping to bribe his way out of her temper. The company had a healthy respect and fear of thier hobbit, after she'd single handedly snapped Thorin from his gold-madness by hitting him over the head with a frying pan; the men of currently-under-construction-Dale, and elves of Mirkwood also danced to her tune after the tiny woman had prevented a war by smacking Dain and Bard's heads toether, then pinched Thorin and THranduil by the ear, and scolded all four like misbehaving tots. So Ori was just hoping to escape the conversation intact. Afterall, Bilba had stabbed Azog to death in a frenzy, when he'd caught Fili.  
"You going to explain why you've been looking at me like I'm the rebirth of Smaug since you arrive, or just keep hiding behingyour cup of tea, Ori?" Bilba chuckled, making hi blush.  
"Ah... I was sent to ask...that is the Company's noticed...uh, and Gandalf wouldn't answer..." He hid his face in his mittens, and just blurted it out. "Do hobbits purr?" His freind choked and blushed, furiously.  
"Sweet Green Mother... This is embarrassing..." She moaned, "I didn't realize slipped up that much..." Ori slowly straightened. "Yes, hobbits purr. It's a sign of... comfort and affection. Normally it only occurs when we're relaxed,and happy among family, or very relieved. It's... rather private."  
"Our hobbit loves us as family!" Nori cheered,having evidently been lurking- somewhere- in the suite, and dashed out the door hollering the news.  
"I swear he sn't actually my brother. He's a changeling," Ori huffed, as the rest poured in. The rumbling purr was the loudest anyone had heard it, as Bilba was enveloped in estatic dwarrow.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a mixture of book and movie 'verses, in case anyone was confused.


End file.
